Bed & Breakfast Nature Tour of South East Georgia

SE Georgia is a dream vacation for those interested in an eco tour highlighting the history, culture, and ecology of the area. Plan a week-long trip using The Inn at Folkston as your base. For the visitor who would like to spend a week which includes the Okefenokee Swamp and the coastal areas of Georgia, escaping to uncrowded, serene swamps, beaches, marshes, and rivers, we know of the perfect places!

Or stay at other B&Bs along the way. The Inn at Folkston is proud to recommend other B&Bs whose owners believe in conservation of our wilderness areas and who take special steps to help their guests enjoy the wonderful world of nature. All of these B&Bs are on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail.

Your tour begins in the south visiting the 396,000 acre Okefenokee Swamp and staying at THE INN AT FOLKSTON (the Jacksonville International Airport is a short 40-minute drive from Folkston, Georgia). Nothing compares to the Okefenokee Swamp, home to the American alligator and 234 species of birds. Okefenokee's dark waters reflect the serene landscapes of its open prairies and moss-laden cypress trees. Venture into this vast wilderness and let nature be your guide. 888-509-6246 www.innatfolkston.com.

An hour's drive to the east will take you to Cumberland Island and the Greyfield Inn. This turn of the century mansion is secluded on 1,300 acres of Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island amidst a tranquil setting for wild horses, deer, armadillos, and numerous species of birds. Spend your day birding, shelling, fishing, clam digging, swimming, hiking, beachcombing or hunting for shark's teeth. 800-717-0821 www.greyfield inn.com.

Back on the mainland, an hour or so drive north on I-95 brings you to St. Simons Island, where a boat awaits to take you to the privately owned Little St. Simons Island . This fantastic getaway island is a 10,000 acre private island that has been virtually untouched for centuries. Contact them via phone at 1-888-733-5774 or via email Lodge@LittleStSimonsIsland.com.

Just north of St. Simon's Island on Route 17 lies the town of Darien and Open Gates Bed & Breakfast. Kelly and Jeff Spratt bring their biology backgrounds into the service they provide at this charming B&B on the village square. Contact them at www.opengatesbnb.com or 912-437-6985.

Traveling north again, just south of Savannah lies the magnificent 6,000 acre Melon Bluff nature and heritage preserve. From a restored barn to a plantation cottage, the Devendorf family's unique B&B accommodations are set amid ancient moss-hung oaks at river's edge. Wagon rides, boating expeditions, kayak and bike rentals are available, as well as miles of private coastline trails. Birders will find many habitats in which to look for some of the 309 species which have been sighted, many uncommon, rare or endangered. 1-888-246-8188 www.melonbluff.com.

We hope you will plan a visit to each of these wonderful B&B destinations.